Level 5, Studio Ghibli Create JRPG Magic with 'Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch'

All-star collaborations aren’t always a sure thing. Case in point: Check out the unpalatable, sub-500 sausage being churned out by the “all-star” cast of my beloved Los Angeles Lakers. Yuck.

Once in a while, though, the meeting of talented forces produces something that does justice to the sum of its parts. This certainly holds true for “Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch” -- the wonderful, lovable offspring sired by Japanese RPG heavyweight Level 5 with Japanese animation giant Studio Ghibli. Featuring a tale centered on young wizard Oliver, Ni No Kuni takes all the wonderful flavors from both its creators and melds them into a perfectly blended seasoning. There’s the same charming and inspired art and story style seen in memorable Studio Ghibli works such as “Spirited Away.” Then there’s Level 5’s well-designed RPG mechanics and solid game design. This game essentially melds real-time action with JRPG menus while also throwing in a Pokemon-style mechanic that allows players to capture and use monsters in the field. 

Add a presentation that feels like you’re playing a Studio Ghibli cartoon -- as well as the option to use  the original Japanese dialogue -- and the result is easily one of the best JRPGs released to date. The fact that lead hero Oliver isn’t an “emo” JRPG jerk is an added plus. If you loved Dragon Quest VIII, the Tales series or just JRPGs in general, you owe it to yourself to check this gem out.

Spartan Reviews: Tekken Tag Tournament 2 Doubles the Mayhem

Reviews in 300 words or less...

The King of the Iron Fist Tournament returns with double the action once again in Tekken Tag Tournament 2.

Like the first Tag Tournament, this game tries to spice up the traditional Tekken recipe by throwing in some two-on-two tag team action. The mechanic adds an extra level of strategy to the game, including tag attacks and life bar management. Fail to tag in a partner with full health when your other fighter goes down, for example, and you will lose the match. Tag in a partner at the wrong time and you could see the poor sap eat a combo on the way in and lose chunks of health.

Folks who like eye candy will love how well this game looks. The graphics actually are beautiful and tack-sharp, even on my ridiculously large 83-inch TV (yes, I know). The fighting itself also is fluid and fast. Button mashers might get far against scrubs, but the folks who master the timing for attack chains, bounces and juggles are the ones who still rule the day. You’ll need those skills, too, as the last boss in this game can be King-of-Fighters cheap (though a bit susceptible to the Law family’s somersault kick). Otherwise, you can test your might online, though just how smoothly that goes depends on the quality of your connection (or your opponent's). 

Offline admittedly could use more extras though the Training Lab mode with Combot and the cheesily "Excellent!" Lee can be fun. Ultimately, your enjoyment of this game largely hinges on whether or not you still enjoy fighting games. If your answer is yes, then you'll be happy to know that Tekken Tag Tournament 2 is an excellent, polished 3D fighter that’s even more enjoyable with a group of friends in your living room. "Excellent!"

Recommended if you like: Virtua Fighter, Dead or Alive

Cost: $60: PS3, Xbox 360
Official Tekken site

Review: We Ski & Snowboard

LIVING IN AMERICA
Reviews of games released in the U.S.

'Boarders enter the fray in sequel to family-friendly skiing game

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Note: This game review originally ran in the Reno Gazette-Journal newspaper and Web site, and I am posting it here on my personal site as backup.

We Ski & Snowboard
System: Nintendo Wii
Developer: Namco Bandai
Price: $39.99

Duuude.

Snowboarders get to join the snowy action this time around in We Ski & Snowboard, the sequel to last year’s family friendly We Ski on the Nintendo Wii.

For the uninitiated, We Ski featured an open sandbox-type atmosphere that allowed players to navigate a virtual ski resort with Japanese-style cutesy characters or even their own virtual Mii lookalikes. Up to four players can also ski simultaneously via split screen, with each player free to wander off to any part of the resort regardless of where the other players may be.

Now as someone with certain young relatives who love cute stuff and also love seeing their Miis in action, let’s just say I sank a ton of time on We Ski. A LOT of time. We did all the racing events; found all the missing or hidden items, animals and people; found a certain hidden abominable creature -- we even did all the food deliveries for virtual skiers who can’t be bothered to pick up their own virtual food. Fortunately, being able to dress my character in such haute couture fashion as a penguin suit and that yellow Bruce Lee outfit from “Game of Death” made it all worth it.

Which brings us to We Ski & Snowboard -- which I shall now shorten to WSS to save my sanity, not to mention my wrist from carpal tunnel syndrome.

The biggest change in WSS happens to be the most obvious one: the addition of snowboards. Having been quite used to the skiing controls from the first game, I was a bit concerned about having to learn a new skill set. But the snowboarding controls are just as intuitive, so it didn’t take that long to pick them up. Once again, you can use the Wii Fit’s Balance Board to control your board or skis. But just like the first game, use of the Balance Board is still limited to one player so all other players will just have to make do with the Wiimote and Nunchuck combo.

Besides adding variety and a certain touch of rebel cool to the game, the biggest plus with the addition of snowboards is added replayability. One common complaint about the first game is that it’s easy to lose interest once you’ve finished all the events and unlocked all the costumes (then again, after playing any game that long, it’s easy to lose interest in just about anything). But the addition of a trick park with rails, boxes and half-pipes really helps to hold interest in the game, especially once you learn to pull off the commands needed for some snowy trickeration. In fact, I had one young cousin keep visiting the trick park over and over ... and over some more during an extended playing session without really touching the other courses. He didn't even switch to using skis once.

The ability to do replays of your runs on the slopes -- including as a group -- is also a fun feature. And if you're smiling after reading that, well, I don't mean those kinds of runs (those are never fun, even as a group). The game still supports four players and allows everyone to go their separate ways (speaking of separate ways, check out this music video featuring Steve Perry and the boys of Journey. With the exception of the virtual instruments at the beginning, this video has nothing to do with this game or the Wii. But it sure is as funny as heck.)

The ability to independently go off is also great if you're playing with one of those folks with a limited attention span who just likes to wander off. You know, the kind of person who makes you look like an idiot in the mall because you're talking to them and it turns out they wandered off somewhere so now people think you're talking loudly to yourself? Wanna go to the trick park but your friend wants to find out-of-bounds trails? Well, you can both do your own thing, so there's no need for drama. Do keep in mind that everyone still has to stop if one player talks to an event character and also have to magically assemble together if an event is triggered. That could certainly be annoying to others if done without warning.

Multiplayer fun also doesn't extend to online so if you want to play with someone, they better be right next to you. That's fine for folks with real friends but not so great for those who only have MySpace friends. Otherwise, you can have the computer control a virtual buddy who can ski/snowboard with you if you're, sniff, feeling lonely. Folks who just love to subject themselves to Nintendo's "Friend Code" system can still do so by trying to send their WSS photos to friends. And yes, they have to be real friends.

With WSS having two mountains compared to just one from the first game, there’s a lot more to explore this time around. WSS offers one traditional mountain park via the Jamboree Snow Resort coupled with the Howard Beale of slopes known as Mount Angrio. All I can say is watch out for steep drops and avalanches with the latter. Players also still have the option of hitting the slopes during the day or night for some added variety.

Because the game retains the open sandbox structure of the first, all courses are accessible from the get-go and can be explored to your heart’s content. Some out-of-bounds courses are hidden but don’t need to be unlocked -- just found. If you feel your life is meaningless without any goals, the game still allows you to unlock gear by completing events such as races, people searches, and, yes, good old food delivery. As in the previous game, your food still can’t survive you tripping on your face but mysteriously makes it in one piece after a perfectly done corkscrew or Rodeo 540. Then again, I can’t snowboard worth a lick in real life but I’m the bomb in this game so methinks reality is vastly overrated. One fun game that's new to WSS and should be fun for both the young and young at heart is tag. Just make sure to tell the kiddies that chasing down folks down a snowy mountain by bumping into them is a no-no in real life. Hopefully, that'll get the lawyers off my back.

One noticeable change with events is that most of the characters you need to talk to to trigger them are now huddled in one place. That means the need to scour the mountainside to find them has now been thankfully reduced.

Speaking of events, WSS obviously tries to strike the same balance its predecessor did between making it accessible to young players while not making it so easy that more seasoned players won’t find it a challenge. But as with any compromise, you always end up with something that falls somewhere in between. Some events in WSS will be too be too hard for younger players. Veteran gamers, on the other hand, may still find the events too easy overall.

Although the stages are new, the character sprites and some of the gear also appear recycled from the previous game. Given that WSS is priced more like a regular game than its predecesor, one would expect a completely new offering as opposed to an expansion. On the plus side, costumes now don’t have to be unlocked for each character and are available to everyone once unlocked by one character.

Bottom line: Overall, WSS is a nice addition to the Wii library. Self-described “hardcore” gamers who thumb their noses at cutesy graphics and more “casual” fare may want to look elsewhere. But for more well-rounded folks who want a fun slope sim that offers enough challenges while also being fun for the whole family, We Ski & Snowboard delivers. If you fall into the latter category, then I give WSS two skis up -- or is that two snowboards up? SHINGENMOCHI

Final verdict: RECOMMENDED

Review: Eternal Sonata for the PS3

LIVING IN AMERICA
Reviews of games released in the U.S.

Fans looking for a solid Japanese-style RPG will find Eternal Sonata to be music to their ears

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Note: This game review originally ran in the Reno Gazette-Journal newspaper and Web site, and I am posting it here on my personal site as backup. Since I picked Eternal Sonata as part of our Friday A-List recommendations for the paper, I am also including the short A-List review below, followed by the full review.

A-LIST REVIEW: Things are even better the second time around with the release of Eternal Sonata on the Playstation 3. Folks who missed the Japanese-style RPG on the Xbox 360 get another chance to enjoy this wonderfully crafted game, which features a unique storyline revolving around a dream by Frederic Chopin. Yes, that Chopin. Who would’ve thought the piano virtuoso could lay the smack down on monsters and an assortment of evildoers?

Eye candy lovers who want to justify their high-definition TV’s will appreciate the game’s tack-sharp, HD visuals. The music is also excellent as to be expected from a game influenced by Chopin’s works.

The battle system features a nice blend of turn-based and live-action controls that keeps players involved and also levels up as you progress through the game. Unlock the final battle system level and get ready to unload a day’s worth of stress by chaining your characters’ super attacks on hapless enemies as you entertain delusions of grandeur.

Notable options include multi-player battling and using the original Japanese dialogue. PS3 extras include bonus characters, dungeons, quests and outfits.

Eternal Sonata’s world isn’t as expansive as say, a Final Fantasy, but the intimate feel works quite well. Although the story serves up some RPG clichés such as friendship and war, it also does a good job in tackling serious themes such as discrimination and the fragility of human mortality. It’ll make you wanna hug the person right next to you. In short, I highly recommend this game.

AND NOW, ON TO THE FULL REVIEW...

You've got to hand it to Japanese game developers. I admit, the Japanese role-playing game genre has done its fair share of recycling the same old formulas. But they also have a knack of coming up with some pretty crazy concepts. Case in point: Who would have ever thought of creating an RPG centered around famed pianist Frederic Chopin?

The thought of a piano virtuoso battling all sorts of monsters while smacking them with his conductor's baton sounds cooky to say the least. But somehow, some way, Eternal Sonata makes it work. And work well it does.

I never had the chance to play the original Xbox 360 version that first came out last year. I've always meant to. But then Namco Bandai announced they were releasing a Playstation 3 version with extra features so I decided to wait instead.

The good news is that Eternal Sonata holds up very well even today. Graphically, the game looks clean and crisp even on my 63-inch high-definition TV, which has a knack of exposing the graphical warts and deficiencies of games due to its ginormous size. Eternal Sonata definitely takes full advantage of the widescreen display, particulary in the design of open areas that feature expansive views and deep chasms. Extra details like floating dandelions in half bloom at a lush meadow also give the game that added touch that shows how much effort designers put in the environments. Coupled with its excellent production values, the game looks like a dream, which is quite fitting because it's based on, well, Chopin's dream. And the music is top notch, as to be expected from a game inspired by Chopin's works.

The battle system is also quite entertaining, offering a mix of turn-based and real-time action. Characters still wait their turn like traditional RPGs. But once their turn is up, you control them in real time. When attacking, you have the option of using regular attacks and more powerful super attacks depending on how much time you have left on an action bar. You also can use super attacks right off the bat but it's generally better to preceed them with normal combos in order to deal the most damage. To make things more interesting, your battle level also "levels up" as you progress through the game. It starts out pretty simple but eventually allows you to chain attacks between characters once you reach Battle Level 5 at the end of the game. Unlock Battle Level 6 via a secret dungeon and you'll find yourself linking up to six super attacks or Harmony Chains, which helps signficantly against the more beefy enemies and bosses. You also have the option of blocking attacks and doing counters in real time -- the former being quite important if you don't want the games tougher and speedier bosses to wipe the floor with you. At the very least, the live action component keeps players involved -- generally a good thing since RPG battle systems tend to be repetitive in nature as well designed as they may be. The addition of Light and Dark properties for enemies and your characters' own attacks during battle also adds an extra bit of "strategery" to the game. Some heavy-hitting enemies, for example, turn into soft wimps when lured into dark areas and vice-versa. Your characters supers also change depending on whether theyr'e in light or shadow -- chiaroscuro as my art teacher used to say. Then there's the ability to have two human players join in the action, a good way to pass the time when you've got extra bodies around.

Speaking of battles, I applaud the fact that the game doesn't feature random encounters. Instead, the game features visible enemies and you have the option of avoiding them if you so choose (I wouldn't do that too much, though, lest you don't gather enough experience). The best thing about no random encounters is that it encourages exploration, making it more enjoyable to hunt for item chests and what have you as opposed to turning it into a major chore. I do wish that the game added an option to save anywhere. I understand that save points can help with pacing but they seem like an archaic concept at this point.

Of course, a large part of any Japanese-style RPG's success lies in its characters and story. Creating original and compelling characters is always tough since pretty much every type of character has already been done. The game's got your balanced swordsman, your bow-and-arrow warrior, healer, hand-to-hand expert, speedy characters, lumbering characters, etc. (though the Chopin character can certainly be considered unique). Then again, some folks play RPGs because they want to see your lumbering swordsman and your bowman (or bowgirl in this case), so that's not necessarily a bad thing. Character personalities also run the gamut of Japanese anime-style personalities so don't expect anything revolutionary on that end. Still, I found the characters quite likeable and I grew an affinity for the cast as I kept playing. The fact that the playable cast has a whopping 12 total members(theoriginal 10 plus two bonus ones) also helps keeps things fresh. I give Namco Bandai bonus points as well for including the option to play with the original Japanese voices on, which is always appreciated ~ "da be".

Storywise, Eternal Sonata starts out quite powerfully with its theme of discrimination and also death. The discrimination issue certainly remains a key theme in these times, given some of the labeling and fear-mongering you still see in the world today. And the question of what someone should do when they don't have much time to live will always strike a chord with anyone who has experienced the death of a loved one. Admittedly, the game falls back into typical RPG themes like good vs. evil, a kind ruler vs. a megalomaniac, etc. along the way. But I also give it extra originality points for weaving in Chopin's story and details about the composer's life as well. Compared to the more ambitious and grand "Wagner-like" worlds of say, a Final Fantasy, Eternal Sonata has a more intimate feel, kind of like Chopin's piano compositions. And you know what? That's not a bad thing either. If you're looking for a quality Japanese-style RPG, I encourage you to give Eternal Sonata a play. SHINGENMOCHI

FINAL VERDICT: Highly recommended